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homes sought for pets of returning Brits


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Seems a lot of "Find a home for my pet" postings have appeared lately. Is here a growing exudus of Brits. from Normandy and surrounding areas who are returning to Britain? Why didn't your plan to live in France work out?

The pets, chickens etc can live anywhere (with kind humans) it seems

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I don't know about you Turnip, but I fail to understand these people going back to the UK to the fact they are not taking their pets with them. Surely your pet is a much loved member of the family and in some cases, substitute children and companions. Seems that the love dries up in pursuit of selfish interests and then people here are made to feel guilty for not offering these unfortunate animals new homes just so their owners have offloaded them. I don't subscribe to the theory either that they cannot afford to take them back, why did they bring them here or take them on here in the first place - you do not dump your pets unless the person has died.
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Will be looking for friendly small dog in the Northern Lot area some time soon. I don't understand these folks either but then there are lots of things I don't understand so put it down to life or some folks lack of it.
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  • 3 weeks later...

Me too Val2 and Iceni.

I think it says a great deal about their motives for moving to La France in the first place.

It certainly wasn't to give their family (including pets) a better chance of a good life was it ?

The old greed creepng in again perhaps? 

Phoenix and I would give our last morsel to our children and our pets (who we consider members of our family).

Sad !

Alfa.

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We have taken on, on separate occasions, three animals as a result of appeals posted on this forum (plus several other deserving cases). None of these were as a result of previous owners abandoning them on returning to England (though I know this can happen).

I know of at least two other cases where pet owners were faced with a choice between insufficient income to feed and maintain a family in France, or to take up a job offer which meant leaving pets behind. Neither decision was made lightly, and both caused considerable heartache and distress. Sanctimonious forum members could argue that the people should never have moved to France in the first place, or that their pets should have been passported, but several were too young, or had recently been rescued. The practicalities and expense involved are another factor of course. But most importantly, the animals, used to freedom and outdoor life in France, would have been subjected to several months in kennels followed by a confined indoor life in a new country. 

Finding a new home has benefited all these animals, so please don't moralise about the subject, particularly without really knowing the facts of the individual case.

If you really want to help then why not take on one or more animals looking for rehoming? 

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Very well said as usual Will, and what a good person you are to have taken on some of these unfortunate pets.

If anyone would like to help, the person in Brittany sadly died yesterday (please see my post in the Pets section).  She had 16 dogs, mostly sterilized and chipped, I might add. Before going to hospital, she went to ask Mark and Sue for help.  They have been absolutely marvellous and have found homes for ten of the dogs with very kind people who answered their call.

But now that the owner has died, the house is going to be closed and the dogs taken away.  I think we only have about 24 hours left.

They are the most lovely little dogs to be saved, Bichons frisés, I think there are four males left, very young, chipped and castrated.

There is also left a 3 year old Collie cross, chipped and castrated

and the three legged Labrador/Alsatian cross, chipped and castrated.

Mark and Sue  02 96 29 98 02

 

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[quote]Me too Val2 and Iceni. I think it says a great deal about their motives for moving to La France in the first place. It certainly wasn't to give their family (including pets) a better chance of a goo...[/quote]

**The old greed creepng in again perhaps?**

Not necessarily so! I am sure that there are those who 'went for their dream' and for one reason or other have run out of money and HAVE to retreat. If you are at the point of not being able to feed your kids, the cost of getting your animals back into the paranoid UK it could be overwhelming regardless of how fond you are of them. Feelings aside, they ARE still animals and their owners ARE trying to find them good homes and not just dumping them out on the side of the road.

**Phoenix and I would give our last morsel to our children and our pets (who we consider members of our family).**

Jude told us that she keeps you as a pet, Alfalfa, and hopes she'll never have to face the near impossibility of having to 'place' you!

Naturally, we agreed.

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Just as an update to Christine's post, I believe there are (or were as of yesterday evening) two bichon frisés (both one-year-old castrated males) plus the collie and the three-legged charmer. I understand rehoming was urgent as the lady's estate was about to be dealt with in the French fashion, which might not be very good news for the remaining dogs.

The reason we know is that (after a 400km round trip mercy dash) our third forum re-home was one of the fluffballs, who is settling in very well and is already good friends with our Labrador, who also came via the forum. Mrs C, who has always wanted something small and scruffy (I thought I fitted that description, but...) would have had the tripod too I think, but we probably couldn't cope with two big dogs. Alfie, as he is now called, is learning about country walks, he has had four already today, and will have the shock of a much-needed bath and possibly a haircut too later today. Incidentally our second forum adoption was Holly the black and white cat who is sitting beside me now, as she hates all the other cats here who are sitting in the kitchen as it's a showery day here.

Ray, I fully concur with what you say, there are many good reasons for people being unable to keep animals - though I accept that some take on the responsibilities with insufficient thought, just as they take on the decision to move to a foreign country with few prospects and scant resources. As you are near Mont St Michel would you consider one of these lovely dogs?

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[quote]Just as an update to Christine's post, I believe there are (or were as of yesterday evening) two bichon frisés (both one-year-old castrated males) plus the collie and the three-legged charmer. I under...[/quote]

**As you are near Mont St Michel would you consider one of these lovely dogs?**

Unfortunately, no, Will. My mobility quite is limited and my wife has more than enough running around to do for me. Also, we travel at least twice a year and take quite a few breaks in between.

We love dogs and have had two Bassetts (not at the same time) over the years and would love to have another but it just wouldn't be fair to the dog (or Teresa).

I hope these get relocated.

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[quote]Just as an update to Christine's post, I believe there are (or were as of yesterday evening) two bichon frisés (both one-year-old castrated males) plus the collie and the three-legged charmer. I under...[/quote]

** I accept that some take on the responsibilities with insufficient thought**

As in having children, for instance!

(Said with tongue-in-cheek but would be even more humorous if it weren't so close to the truth)

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I came back to England and would not have dreamed of leaving my dog or cats behind.  It does not cost that much to get them chipped (which they should be anyway for safety), rabies innoculated and blood tested.  As for the poster who said they would have to spend time in kennels!!!!  The quarantine rule was done away with about 4 years ago!!!!!

Would people leave their children behind???  I don't think so, so why their animals.  Depending on their mode of transport to get back to England children could and probably do, cost more than the animals

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Lynsey,

the quarantine rules were not dropped 4 years ago - they were amended.  A Rabies jab has to be given at least 6 months and no more than 12 months before entering the UK (with appropriate blood tests) in order to avoid quarantine.  So puppies and kittens? - I'm afraid it is quarantine.

 

Otherwise I agree with your sentiments

 

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"As for the poster who said they would have to spend time in kennels!!!!  The quarantine rule was done away with about 4 years ago!!!!!"

Please don't assume either ignorance or irresponsibility on the part of other forum members. Or that everything is driven by cost. As I am sure you are aware, the process of getting a passport for a pet takes a long time. An owner may need to take pets from France to England, for which the rabies vaccination and blood test process has not been started, or has only recently begun (maybe the animals are recently born, or recently adopted). Therefore they have to either remain in France for a while, which most likely means time in boarding kennels, or have to go into quarantine in England.

By the way, we left our children in England when we came to France

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Di - yes, thanks to Christine's appeal on this forum, and similar requests elsewhere, all nine Bichon Frisés (and five of the other seven dogs) have been adopted. I believe the remaining two - Storm and Thunder (collie cross and three-legged labrador/GSD cross) - have been saved too. Judie and I took one of the young BFs home and he is a wonderful little dog.

Just to avoid any confusion, these particular animals were up for rehoming due to their previous owner being taken into hospital with a terminal illness - and unfortunately dying a few days ago - rather than returning British.

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I'm glad to hear the dogs have been rehomed and that we now have the story behind the appeal. My reply was aimed at those selfish,"throw away when bored with" types who don't give a fig about their pets,only themselves and I appreciate there are all situations to consider. That poor woman (Froggy) I think who has been conned into looking after some animals for such a person after doing them a kindness and answering a distress call is a good example of this kind of behaviour and I hope that woman who dumped the animals on Froggy has trouble sleeping at night, I know I would. At least they have got a good home now
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As someone who grew up in a circus & with a Daughter who is vet, I reckon I am qualified to say;

I believe that keeping any dog as a "pet" is fundamentally wrong. Animals in general, and dogs in particular, are only acceptable out of the wild when they perform a specific function, whatever that is...

"People" seem too ready to "adopt" a dog, simply because it is homeless.The animal should not have a home in the first place. Dogs require more attention than most people are able to give; after all they are (in their natural environment) pack hunting animals who are incapable of survival without the pack. If they cannot survive "in the wild", then they should not be allowed to survive at all. It is best for all of us. Daughter #2 will destroy a dog for free if the circumstances warrant it.

The Spanish will claim that the Brits are closer to their dogs than they are to their children.

Unless you are blind or a Policeman, ask yourself if you are really doing the best by your dog.

Right, that's another bottle of Louis de Venenge Merlot (Super U, 2E49) finished.

Discuss.

 

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"As someone who grew up in a circus & with a Daughter who is vet, I reckon I am qualified to say;"

I can't speak for your taste in vino, Nick, but I would have to say that the rest of your posting tends to indicate that you might perhaps care to reconsider your "qualifications" as a pontificator.  I have no idea of your exact age but would suggest that perhaps you grew up in a circus at a time when they were nowhere near as well regulated as they now are,  As for having a daughter who is a vet, I fail to see how that qualifies you, or her for that matter, to speak on the desire some people might have to make a dog part of their family scenario.  If I had a father who was a serial murderer, for example, what precisely would that qualify me to speak about, would you say?

You are of course entitled to your opinions, however misguided they may be, but "Animals in general, and dogs in particular, are only acceptable out of the wild when they perform a specific function, whatever that is..." is a pretty meaningless statement.  Where exactly would you place Homo Sapiens in the animal world, for example?  Or do you perhaps feel that we, being so much much more "advanced" and "civilized" than dogs or cats, should simply make the rules for other creatures but ensure that we don't look too closely at how well we ourselves perform on the world stage?

It is always nice to hear other people's views and opinions but I have always found it wiser to voice contentious ideas when one has at least a modicum of an argument to back them up.

Cordialement

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Uhmmmm

I wasn't aware that we were discussing Humans. If my father were a serial killer (he isn't, he was the musical director of a circus in the 60's), then I would not expect my opinion about the keepers of animals to change.

Hom Sap are at the top of the food chain. This however, does not entitle us to keep animals in unnatural environments. How we act towards other people is of no relevance (and is entirely another subject) to how we treat animals. If, for example, "we" were not allowed to keep dogs without reason, how would animal-kind suffer?

You are of course entitled to your opinions, however misguided they may be, but "Animals in general, and dogs in particular, are only acceptable out of the wild when they perform a specific function, whatever that is..." is a pretty meaningless statement.

It is an opinion. Do you need me to make it plainer; The keeping of animals out of their environment is wrong. However, at the top of the food chain we have the right (by power of superiority) to make descisions about creatures below us. We have the right to (eg.) eat cows and sheep, ride horses and use dogs to lead the blind and locate explosives. We do not, however have the right to treat animals as playthings.

Or do you perhaps feel that we, being so much much more "advanced" and "civilized" than dogs or cats, should simply make the rules for other creatures but ensure that we don't look too closely at how well we ourselves perform on the world stage?

Of course we have the right (and power) to make rules about animals. What we must do is to make rules that protect those who cannot defend themselves against our onslaught.

To carry the analogy further, it is better that a few poodles are "laid to rest", than thousands of dogs end up in PDSA kennels.

There are too many animal do-gooders (for want of a better term). If everyone who has dealings with animals considered what impact their actions would have upon those animals, then there would a) be alot less lap-dogs and b) alot more wild animals.

I am no ALF-er. I am no vegitarian. I am pleased to accept that animals provide us with a virtually unlimited range of benefits. I, for one think that we should be grateful for this. How is overfeeding a Pekinese or dumping a mongrel going to benefit humans or dogs?

Bring back the dog licence. Make it impossible for animals bred solely for human pleasure to survive.

And as for my taste in booze....

 

No animals were harmed in the posting of this statement.

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"Passer sa vie à lutter contre la connerie est le meilleur procédé pour mourir d'épuisement."

Once again your phrase seems so true Kayjay and I am not going to épuise myself...

You have two lovely cats there, are they twins?  What are they?

 

 

"Man is a clever animal who behaves like an imbecile."

once again Albert Schweitzer

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[quote]" Passer sa vie à lutter contre la connerie est le meilleur procédé pour mourir d'épuisement." Once again your phrase seems so true Kayjay and I am not going to épuise myself... You have tw...[/quote]

Well, I'm impressed.

I am also impressed by those who are willing to devote themselves to animalkind. I couldn't do it. However, perhaps now is the time for education, rather than procrastination.

I imagine that, as a good Humanitarian, Schweitzer would not approve of 21st century attitudes towards animals.

 

 

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